Nishikigoi is often known as living jewels or brocaded carp. It is the carp that we name Koi. Nishikigoi is known for its beautiful patterns and colors, which we still admire and enjoy today.
Even though Koi are not native to Japan, Japanese breeders are credited with fine-tuning and breeding them to today’s amazing color variety.
The Big Three are as follows:
There are 15 different types of Koi. The three varieties known as Kohaku, Sanke, and Showa are the most popular. In the United States and Europe, these Koi fish are known as the “big three.”
| Type of Koi Fish | Size (inches) | Typical Weight (lbs) |
|---|---|---|
| Asagi | 12 | 1.5 |
| Shusui | 24 | 8 |
| Kohaku | 36 | 25 |
| Taisho Sanshoku | 48 | 40 |
Types of Kiwa:
Kiwa is separated into two categories based on very edgy designs.
- Kamisori Kiwa: Kiwa with razor-sharp edges that go through the individual scales.
- Maruzome Kiwa: Maruzome Kiwa gives the trailing tip of the red patterns a scalloped look, like the edge of a cherry blossom petal.
Please keep in mind that while assessing Kiwa, the trailing edge of the design is always taken into account. (i.e., the edge of the Koi fish closest to the tail)
The Distinctive Colors
Koi experts look for the following color variants when choosing a Champion Koi:
- Kohaku has a pearly white surface with red (hi) patterns and distinct edges.
- Showa is a pure black body foundation with white and red colors, for example.
- Metallic-looking, red, and beautiful orange markings, such as Kujaku, are preferred by peacocks.
The following are some of the most popular varieties:
- Chagoi Koi
The Chagoi Koi is regarded as the most human-friendly ornamental koi type. This is due to their voracious appetites, as they compete to be the first to be fed by their human owners. Because they’re so food-driven, they’re the simplest koi fish to hand-feed.
- Ki Utsuri Koi
Ki Utsuri Koi is the rarest ornamental carp variety, with dazzling yellow and lacquer-black color patterns.
- The Ghost Koi
One of the fastest-growing koi kinds is Ghost Koi. They’re a cross between Mirror Carps and Ogon Koi with a glittering sheen. They’re certainly a sight to behold, thanks to their ghost-like color pattern.
- Butterfly Koi Fish
In western aquariums, the Butterfly Koi is one of the most popular koi. They’re a cross between traditional Japanese Koi and carps with lengthy fins. Their slim forms and long flowing fins give them the name butterfly.
- Black and White Koi Fish
The scaleless bodies of Black & White Koi are also known as Kikokuryu. They have a white color foundation with a black net pattern running down its single row of scales. It’s followed by red, orange, or yellow patches of color.
- Japanese Koi Fish
Japanese Koi are a species of ornamental carp that originated in Japan in the early nineteenth century. Rice farmers gathered and nurtured the most colorful and unusual wild-caught carp fish. It results in a rich gene pool that permits traditional Japanese Koi to outlast most koi fish variations.
What illnesses do koi fish have a chance of contracting?
A virus is known as Koi herpesvirus, or KHV, is responsible for most disease-related koi fish mortality.
Only common carps (Cyprinus carpio) and koi fish are affected by this extremely infectious virus. It has not been recorded in any other species.
The symptoms of KHV are non-specific, although the following are the most prevalent indicators that a koi fish is infected:
- gill lesions that are white or grey.
- Skin hemorrhages.
- Sunken eyes.
- Evident difficulty breathing.
KHV infection is almost always lethal for koi fish, and death generally occurs within 24-48 hours of symptoms.
There is no known way to prevent KHV from entering a koi fish tank or pond. There are steps you may do to keep the virus from spreading and killing all of your other koi fish:
- look for obvious signs of KHV infection in new koi fish before introducing them to your tank.
- Keep new koi fish in isolation for 2-4 weeks before exposing them to one of your other koi.
- Remove koi fish with KHV-specific symptomatology as soon as possible. It helps prevent the virus from wiping out the entire koi fish population in your aquarium/pond.
Ulcer infections and fish lice infestations are also common in koi fish.
Conclusion
Some koi fish may live up to 50 years in captivity. The care that arises with keeping a koi fish is considerably higher!
To ensure that your pet koi fish has a long and happy life, satisfy its basic tank needs and feed it well-balanced food. Koi fish are as beautiful as they are large, and they will be the simplest aquarium fish to care for in their size category!
